Twist of Fate
by sunderlandprincess
Summary: Val and Jaime decide on something that may bring them closer together than they ever thought...


**Twist of Fate:**

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**This is something a little different for me…can oil and water mix to make the perfect combo? Be nice, it's the first fic I've written in a while so I'm a leeetttlllleee bit rusty. :0)**

**I don't own any of the characters…you know, the usual. **

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**Val sat slumped on the old couch with her eyes turned down to gaze at the floor without really looking at it. Had she been concentrating, she would have seen that there was a small bug making its way confidently across the blue-stitch carpet like George Washington crossing the river. She didn't notice the tear that dropped onto the dark fabric of her pants and crashed out like a triumphant wave, creating a spot much larger than the tear had originally been.**

**Her mind was clouded and her thoughts jumbled and piled up in her mind in terrible chaos. How could he? How could he have betrayed her? She'd spent almost a year opening her heart to him and after she thought they would love no one but each other, he'd done this. How could he? She couldn't even fathom why or why then. The news had been so sudden—Caitie hadn't wanted to tell her to be nice to her best friend.**

**But then, Val thought, she hadn't refused Tyler's…offer… either. She couldn't believe that her two best friends could turn against her like that—the person she loved and thought loved _her_.**

"Whoa, Val, what's wrong?" Jaime sidled nonchalantly as usual into the room with a half empty Coke in his hand. He gave her a square look, as if sizing her up for a fight, and then turned to the refrigerator to get the fruit salad he'd left there the previous day.

**She looked up, self consciously wiping her eyes in hopes he hadn't seen her crying. But he had—it was no use—so she changed the subject with a feigned light voice. "So you really decided to stay?" **

**"Yeah…not the answer to my question. You look like someone just died." He turned to lean back on the counter and plucked open the Tupperware tin with a ready fork to stab the nearest unsuspecting grape. **

**"Close enough," she sighed, leaning back, "I'm assuming you haven't heard." **

**"Heard what?" He forked a deep, red grape and popped it into his mouth. **

**"Tyler asked Caitie out." Val stated blandly, sighing again. **

**He practically spat out the grape as she continued, "I thought she would have told you since…well…never mind…everything's so messed up." She slapped her hand down on the arm of the couch.**

**"But…but they're like oil and water!" He protested as if arguing with Val.**

**"I know. But sometimes oil and water can mix to make the perfect…" She couldn't force the rest of the sentence out. It was too hard—too heart wrenching. No one knew that she and Tyler had kissed that afternoon, so no one was of any comfort. Besides, she'd rather not have told. "Anyway…I know how much you liked her." **

**He nodded, not paying attention to the last sentence, but then suddenly saying. "And I know how much you liked him. Wait a second…this is crazy! I don't believe it. Tyler and Caitie?" **

**Another tear running down her cheek, she answered, "Tyler and Caitie." **

**"This is _nuts_! There has to be something we can do." He stabbed at a slice of melon with all his might, but missed, and then slammed the Tupperware down on the counter. **

**There was a short moment of silence and then Val asked quietly. "Will you go out with me?" **

**"_What_?" He sounded, more surprised by this question than by the earlier news. **

**"Will you go out with me? I mean…maybe we can show them how…how this relationship won't work." Deep, deep in her heart, masked by all the hate she held for Tyler at that moment was the intense fire of her desire for him, how much she loved him. **

**"That's setting us up for a fall." He warned.**

**"But it's worth it, isn't it? As…as friends, you know? We'd each get what we wanted if it works and if it doesn't…well…we both live in misery for the rest of our days…" The words wrenched from her mouth, tears fighting their way forth and down her cheeks in races. **

**"All right. Let's do it." **


End file.
